The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1887-02-18
ON MOUNT ETNA!
The Difficulties and Dangers
of the Ascent.
Ill GENE FROM THE SUNNY.
The Hotel AccOmmoda tIons Insecure
Foothol6s-Ready for a Fail-Ihe
80 Grandapd Glorious View -. a

ana refreshments ana puts lueLu ACIOSs
his mule, and then, calling on rs to
mount, he leads the way. On the left
we. pass the Mont Rossi, two ,mOun-
tains between six and seven Thousand
feet high, thrown up by one of the eTup-
tions of Etna.- Then there are nothing
before US but masses OF tiny vines some
two or three feet high, which we sup
pose are the last traces of vegetation we
slall see. But no, we soon come to quite
distinct zone or belt of woodland
called II Bosco, or the wood, which eL-
tends in width about six miles, and is
three miles deep. Hitherto we have
been blowing our way through loose
cinders with dreary waste of land on
either hand, but now the scene changes
suddenly, and as pleasantly. For an
hour We are riding through a wood of
small trees, of oak, beech, and cork; the
roadway is no longer of hose cinders,
but OF huge powders of lava, over
which or around which the mules
mount or creep as may seem best to
| them; for by this time we are quite
persuaded that we are at their mercy,
ami that these patient, hardy animals
will well earn the money charged for
them. The moon has risen, and this
part of the ride is as pleasant as it is
picturesque. But beyond the wood the
dreary waste begins, motif end till we
retrace our steps on the morrow. After
little more than two hours ride we
come to the woodman's house, of which
we avail ourselves for a rest and for
some water for ourselves and beasts.
Again mounting, We start for our next
stage, the English house, or Casa deg
l Inglesi at the base of the cone of
Etna, and which has been placed there
by the Italian Alpine club, where
travellers may rest and get ashakedoWn
before ascending to the crater.
This stage of three hours and half
is probably the most depressing ride
either of US eyer had, or could possibly
have Usually in mountain climbing
there is much to delight and to reward
one in ascent; there are halting-places
where one gets visions of beauty de-
lightful in themselves. even if they are
not an earnest of still more eXtensiv e
ones to come. But here there is nothing
for the eye to rest on to please: every
thing by way of vision or suggestion is
gloomy and depressing. Leaving behind
all trees and after while even the hills
on which a few hardy shrubs had
struck root and asserted themselves,
we enter on dreary waste of lava, IN
relieved by any object to cheer or en-
iiven US Far as the eye can see-and
the moon is at the full-thereis nothing
but a scene of somber vastness-one
vast waste of present desolation and of
former destruction. After some we'll =
intentioned efforts to throw off the
gloom which oppresses US all, we are
forced to yield to the influence of the
surroundings, which settle down upon
US like nightmare. our one hope to
come to the end of our funereal ride.
By and by the white front of the Eng
lish house presents itself. shining like
friendly beacon in the moonlight; but
even this relief is tempted with disap-
pointments, as we learn We are more
than an hours ride from it. The way
is almost perpendicular, so that the
mules toll on at snails pace, quite at
their own discretion, for the cold has
become intense, and we are all glad TO
thrust our hands in our pockets. We
I could have slept away the tedious
minutes and thus shut out the dreary
panorama, but the cold prevents Us. We
have nothing to do but to stare at the
Whitawashed front of the English house
and wonder if we are ever to reach it.
Never was hosiery more welcome when
at II 30 o'clock, we reached the top
and never had hostelry less to offer TO
tired and dispirited wayfarers. A
bundle of straw is all that is available as
a bed, and from this two men have to
be aroused who have gone to sleep.
The cold is intense, and no cover is
provided. Fortunately, we crept under
a corner of rug brought with US, but
even then it is too cold to sleep, and we
are glad when the guide comes to call
US.
At 3:45 O clock we start for the sum-
nit, our party being Increased by two
Sicilian generals and a captain, with
their two guides. We hope to reach
the summit before sunrise, but we little
reckon the difficulty of this two-mile
ascent. At first our path lies over loose
scorie or ashes, into which our feet
hsink to the depth of several inches. By
anG-by the mountain side becomes
sleeper. and the pathway is over hard
lava, in which the guides with their
axes have to cut riches, in which our
feet may find safe hold. IL is trying
work, for an insecure foothold means Il
precipitate fall. Our alpenstocks greatly
help US, resting on which every few
minutes we take breath. Looking down,
the Sicilian party is seen to be in trouble
and they presently give UP theattempt.
Before we reach the top the sun has
risen, but in a mist, SO that an earlier
start would not have secured the view de-
sired. But in spite of the mist the view
is indescribably grand and extensive.
All around and below US are the undu..
lating sides of the mountain, which is
more than ninety miles in circumter-
ence at its base. Beyond, on every
hand, stretches away the island OF
Sicily, with its variegated landscapes
fringed with the blue sea. OF course
the extent of our view, grand as 1t Is,
is circumscribed by the mist, so that 1t
may be well to quote from Murray what
may be seen under exceptionally favor
able circumstances. 1t says: "Perhaps
from no spot on eaEth's surfaces are the
splendors of creation seen to more
advantage. This pinnacle, on the brink
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